New Orleans City Councilman Jon Johnson is delaying a vote on an 8 p.m. citywide youth curfew because he says he needs to figure out whether the measure would actually have an effect on crime. That's a fundamental question, and the City Council needs to consider it before voting on such a sweeping measure -- one that will have an impact on law-abiding youth as well as those who might get in trouble.

New Orleans City Councilman Jon Johnson is raising questions about the city's youth curfew policy.

If crime reduction is the goal, the City Council should seek evidence that an earlier, broader curfew will actually cut crime.

Currently, the curfew outside the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny is 8 p.m. on weeknights from Sept. 1 through May 31. During the summer, the weeknight curfew is 9 p.m. And on Fridays and Saturdays, the curfew is 11 p.m. year-round.

Councilman Johnson cited discussions with individuals and groups who've questioned the stricter curfew's effectiveness and suggested that it might create more problems than it solves.

The councilman says that he wants to be sure police won't profile youth in enforcing the law. He also wants to be sure that the police can take care of the children who will be picked up for violations and determine whether police need more funding to extend operating hours of the curfew center.

Those are all valid questions that need to be answered before making a change.

An 8 p.m. curfew is very restrictive. During the summer, it's still daylight at that hour, and there are many completely benign reasons young people might be out after 8 p.m. They might be going to a movie or a snowball stand or even running an errand for a parent.

Enforcing a permanent 8 p.m. timeout for kids doesn't seem like the best use of police resources, and that's something the City Council should consider, too.